Construction for the $12 million Lowndes County Sportsplex along Highway 82 is well underway, and Lowndes County Board of Supervisors President Trip Hairston told members of Columbus Exchange Club Thursday at Lion Hills Center he is excited to see the project progressing.
“Yes, it is a big price tag, but the children of Lowndes County are going to benefit,” Hairston said. “It will be a big thing for tourism. It is going to be a top-notch facility. (There are) turf infields where, when it rains, you can play on them within a couple of hours. I am very excited.”
The first phase includes completing the eight fields, which should be complete by late September, and Hairston hopes to see the next phase sooner rather than later.
The board has applied for a Defense Community Infrastructure Program (DCIP) grant to fund phase two, which among other things, includes a $14 million multipurpose building.
“I’d like to see us build a multipurpose building out there,” Hairston said. “We can move the (recreation) department out there, and that would open up the ability for us to use the park pretty much anytime we want. If you have a multipurpose building, you can have other things happening in and around that park.”
When asked about competing with the $20-million-plus Cornerstone Park nearing completion in Starkville — which will also have tournament-ready baseball and softball fields — Hairston said tournament recruitment was only a secondary part of the facility’s mission.
He cited a 53% growth in the last three years in county baseball league participation, which has outgrown the facilities it uses at Lake Lowndes State Park.
“The primary function is to serve the citizens of Lowndes County,” Hairston said. “I think first and foremost, we ought to serve our own leagues. Personally, I think we can complement Starkville and Starkville can complement us.”
Hairston also addressed the county’s recent big wins for economic development and what it will mean for the near and long term.
Steel Dynamics is building a $2.5 billion aluminum plant near the Golden Triangle Regional Airport, the largest private capital investment in the state’s history. The 2,500-acre facility will be built over three years and bring in approximately 3,000 workers during that time.
Hairston said these workers will provide immediate benefits to the economy before the plant even opens.
“Everyone of those (employees) are going to be lined up at Old Hickory,” Hairston said. “They will be buying cars from Bill Russell Ford or the other dealerships, especially on rain days. They will buy every truck on the lot on rain days. It’s going to be a huge shot in the arm, just from the construction standpoint, in our community.”
Once finished, Aluminum Dynamics will employ 850, making an average annual salary of $93,000.
Hariston also mentioned other significant capital investments, such as a $108 million by Altex Tube, which will manufacture steel tubing; and $16 million by Terberg Taylor ,which will manufacture terminal tractors that are used in shipping yards. The businesses will create 58 and 90 jobs, respectively.
Challenges
Despite all of the forward momentum, the county has seen its share of challenges, Hairston said.
Perhaps the biggest hit has been the increase in asphalt costs.
Hairston said, in 2021, asphalt was $107 per ton. It increased to $150 per ton in 2022.
“What we were paying in roads in 2021 for one mile of road, we can only pay half of it with current day money,” Hairston said. “That’s pretty significant.”
Supply chain issues with new vehicles are also creating problems, especially for the sheriff’s office, he said.
“We are putting engines in cars that have more than 100,000 miles on them,” Hairston said. “We are maintaining cars that we would have gotten rid of a long time ago because we can’t get (new) cars.”
Increased gas prices are affecting the vehicles the county does have.
“Just because we are a government entity doesn’t mean we are insulated from the same things you face out of your own pocketbook,” Hairston said.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 43 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
Join the Discussion